Why is it that airlines are continually, when you go to a website, not posting routes, but instead just putting a symbol on the city they fly to? USAirways, Delta, CSA, others all do it.
Thoughts?
Please don't say because they are continually adding more flights point-to-point, because that still would not warrant "no line route maps".
Thanks
EVA744

That is a start ... They at least put what routes are served non-stop. Other airlines just have dots and you are supposed to figure out your own routing or check a time table. I thought the point of the route map was so you didn't have to do that time consuming crap to figure out a routing. hence the term "route map". Oh EVA is it ok that i post here ... I am a full fledged "Route Map CEO".!

There are only a select few U.S. airlines that still have route maps with lines. They are Midwest Express, Midway Airlines, Frontier, TWA and America West. Their route maps can be found at each airline's website.

Actually it also relates to limitations of web design. When you're designing for the lowest-common-denominator computer with a slow connection you want to keep the image size in pixels and in kilobytes to a minimum.

So for a small route map appropriate to a website, it may not make sense to have those lines, as they might likely be illegible anyhow.

I know what you mean... but i still think that when you want to download the route map most have (xxxKB) next to it. So regardless of size I want to see them. True there might be too many lines and they would be convoluted, but still i want to see them try. You can always trace the line back to the thick one and into the hub. so why does it matter... i think they are too lazy to do it. It would not be hard, you would just need to not include code-shares and commuter routes, on the mainline ones. Then have some that are for commuter, and then code share ones. I am talking about the web based ones. Then they could create an applet where there would be a set backround, ie region, and then lines are created on a clear, backround and laid on top of of the backround, indicating routes, and you could layer, like UA mainline, and ACJet on top of it to see where those 2 run. or ... take the applet one step further. and have a blank route map with the cities they serve (you select what mode, mainline, commuter, shuttle etc.) and the cities appear, when you click on the city or airport the routes show connecting the other cities on the map.

Well back to the point, as GreggJ seemed to have missed, lets say I am NOT flying on AA (which in my opinion, no matter how many seats they rip out, their airline is still the largest hunk of shit... AEagle too.) and I have to connect in PIT with USAirways and I do not know anything about airlines and their hubs, what cities would I fly? well judging by some current route maps it looks as though I would be flying from (A the USAirways route map cannot be viewed on one page, ie the entire country is broken down into "regions", one of which I find amusing, is: Kansas, MO, NE, and DEN.) ok ok ... flying from a yellow circle, to a yellow circle ... but what they do not tell you is that you might have to connect in a red star. All of this would be alieviated if there were lines, so the user could see that, "gee Verne, wes gunna haveta' connit threw Pitzburge, er Charlot." (that was a quote from a user from TX. ) no offense Texans. Ok ok ... what I want, and others want, aside from GreggJ because he is still 3 and likes colored shapes and stars (because lines would disrupt his creativity time, he likes to imagine the lines, GreggJ I always knew you were a dreamer.), we want lines, connecting cities that are served, omitting ones that are not served by the company (ie sure you can have code-share lines, but please slap those suckas on another map, thanks.) What other thoughts do you guys have?

the lines tell you which cities can be flown between non-stop, or let you know that you can make a connection. Without the lines, you know what cities are served, but you don't know what cities are paired.

GreggJ---
To put this simpler. IF YOU KNEW HOW TO READ... and I know you do because you keep typing "replies", but then again maybe you don't, because you keep missing the point. again ... and let me bold this for you so you can catch the key words. ready? 1 ... 2 ... 3 .... here we go....

To someone that is not too familiar (got that? ok again... not too familiar sorry ... fam...iliar attaboy) with the airline industry and specific airlines does not know what cities are the hubs ... let me sum up so far. There are people who do not know anything about airlines. ok let's go on... the point of the route (route: meaning the way the aircraft takes to get to the destination from the departure city), kind of like your connect the dots book. ok and the map which is used to place the cities in their geographical position. So in big word coming: SUMMATION... route maps are handy because they allow you to see from what city a different city is served.

So please GreggJ ... do me and everyone else on the forum a favor. and what is that you ask? READ the posts before you reply to something you have no clue about.